Machine for squaring-up carton flats or boots



April 24, 1962 B. H. WRIGHT 3,030,867

MACHINE FOR SQUARING-UP CARTON FLATS OR BOOTS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 11. .1960

INVENTOR BENJAMIN H.WRIGHT ATTORNEYS April 24, 1962 B. H. WRIGHT MACHINE FOR SQUARING-UP CARTON FLATS 0R BOOTS Filed Jan. 11, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 BENJAMIN ATTORNEYS April 24, 1962 B. H. WRIGHT MACHINE FOR SQUARING-UP CARTON FLATS OR BOOT Filed Jan. 11, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 T H 6 S .l Y R E Ow. m N fi m 1 m T M @m. T WA A v I N E B a Y. B

United, States Patent 3,030,867 MACHINE FOR SQUARING-UP CARTON FLATS 0R BGOTS Benjamin H. Wright, Chicago, 11]., assignor to Maxwell Bros. Co., Chicago, Ill. Filed Jan. 11, 1960, Ser. No. 1,566 14 Claims. (CI. 93-36) This invention appertains broadly to the making of corrugated or like boxes or cartons and more particularly to a novel machine for use in conjunction with a conventional box blank folding machine for insuring the correct forming of the boots or box in its fiat condition.

In the manufacture of corrugated and like boxes or cartons, a problem has been existing for some time in the making of a square box, or a box in which the edges of the walls of the boot are truly parallel, so that when the boot is set up, a straight uniform box will be had with its walls incorrect line. Initially, the box blank is scored, so that when the same is folded the board will break on the score lines and be presumably square when made up. However, when glue is applied to the box blank to make what is known as the manufacturers joint, the boot is not square and when the glue sets, the boot is not true and the walls are not in correct line. This is particularly true on high speed corrugated folders.

It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of my invention to provide a machine for immediately receiving the folded box blanks or boots with the glue applied at the manufacturers joints and before the glue sets for truing or squaring up the walls of the boots, so that when the glue sets, corrected boots will be formed to provide perfectly square boxes when the boots are opened or set up.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide means for receiving the folded blanks or boots from the folding machine, one at a time, with conveyor means for carrying the boots with their edges at one side against a bang board or straight edge and means including a swinging, squaring-up board for forcibly striking the opposite edges of the boots, so that the walls of the boots will be squared up between the bang board or straight edge and the squaring up board.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for operating the swinging, squaring-up board from the folding machine, so that such squaring-up board will be operated in timed relation to the feed of the boots into the squaring-up machine.

, A further important object of the invention is to provide means for quickly elevating the incoming boots olf of the conveyor means when the boost initially engage the bang board, so that the conveyor will not drag on the boots and cause injury to the printing thereon.

A still further object of my invention is to provide means for forming a stack of squared-up boots against the bang board or straight edge and before the movement of the boots out of the machine, so as to insure the setting of the glue at the manufacturers joints and consequent holding of the boots in their square-up condition.

A still further important object of my invention is the provision of means for adjusting the bangv board or straight edge to a desired selected position relative to the swinging, squaring-up board, so that different sizes of boxes can be efiiciently handled.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings,

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the novel squaring-up machine with parts thereof broken away and in section to show structural detail, the view also showing the machine in position relative to a fragment of a folding machine for receiving carton or box boots therefrom;

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, the bed or table of the machine being shown partly in top plan;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view through the machine taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a detail fragmentary sectional view illustrating a modified form of means for ejecting squared-up boots from the machine;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a formed carton boot or flat with the glued manufacturers joint, and

FIGURE 6 is a carton set up from a squared boot.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter S generally indicates my novel squaring-up machine for carton or box boots B as folded on a high speed corrugated folding machine F.

The folding machine F forms no part of the invention and can be considered as a type now in general use in box making plants, but as illustrated, the folding machine F includes power driven rotatable rollers 1:0 for feeding formed carton boots B out of the folding machine. The squaring-up machine S is positioned directly in front of the folding machine F for receiving folded carton boots therefrom.

The carton boot B is of course, of a conventional type to form a desired size of carton C and hence the boot includes folded fiat side walls 11 carrying top and bottom end flaps l2 and 13. The boot is initially folded from a blank and the meeting edges of the folded blank are secured together by a glued flap 14 hereinafter referred to as the manufacturers joint. The flap 14 is connected to the adjacent side wall of the boot by means of an adhesive applied to the flap. The flap in the present instance is glued to the outer face of the boot, but the same can be glued to the inner face of the boot. When the boot is set up as shown in FIGURE 6 to form a carton or box C, the top and bottom flaps 12 and 13 are folded over and then secured together by suitable adhesive.

Hence, the folding machine F is provided with glue pots and applicators for applying the desired amount of glue to the flap 14. Usually, machines are provided with two glue pots, one to be used for applying glue for the outside joint (bottom gluer) and the other pot to be used for glue for an inside joint (top gluer).

In order to bring about the operating of certain parts of my squaring-up machine S relative to the folding machine, such parts can be driven from a take ofi from the folding machine, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Now referring to the squaring-up machine, the same includes a sturdy bed or frame 15, which for the sake of simplicity has been shown to include corner angle iron or like legs 16 reinforced or braced together in any desired way. The legs 16 are also firmly united by a lower platform 17, on which certain parts of the machine are mounted and a top table or plate 18. The table 18 preferably extends beyond the opposite sides of the base frame. The forward edge of the table 18 facing the folding machine F is preferably curved downwardly to provide a receiving and guiding lip 19 for the incoming boots B received from the folding machine.

Extending transversely of the table 18 is a bang board or straight edge 20 against which the incoming boots are urged. This bang board or straight edge 20 is carried at its lower edge by a series of shoes 21 havingdownwardly inclined front faces 22. The shoes 21 and consequently, the bang board or straight edge 20 are slidably mounted on the table for movement toward and away from the receiving end of the machine, so that different sizes of cartons or boxes can be successfully handled. The means for slidably mounting the shoe and bang board on the table and the adjustment thereof will be later set forth. It is to be noted, however, at this time, that the bang board extends entirely across the table and has welded to the terminals thereof upright frame plates 23. The upper edges of the frame plates 23 are connected rigidly together by a top frame plate 24. The shoes 21 are spaced one from the other, for a purpose, which will also later appear. As illustrated, one of the shoes, and preferably the center shoe 21, slidably extends through a guide slot 25 in the table 18 and carries a feed nut 26 which is positioned under the table. Threaded into the feed nut 26 is a rotatable feed screw 27 and this screw is carried for free rotation but against longitudinal movement on the frame of the machine. The outer end of the feed screw has connected thereto an operating crank 28 and by turning the crank the feed screw can be turned in the nut 26 for moving the bang board or straight edge 20 and its shoes along the table. Obviously, the screw 27 and its feed nut 26 will hold the bang board in a desired selected adjusted position. It is to be also understood that certain of the shoes 21 can be provided with guide blocks 29 extending through guide slots 30 in the table. This efiectively prevents twisting of the bang board or straight edge 20 on the table during its adjustment and during the holding thereof in a selected operative position.

When the folded glued boots B are fed onto the table 18 and over its lips 19, the boots are carried along the table to the bang board and up the shoes 21 by a longitudinally extending conveyor 31. This conveyor 31 extends longitudinally of the table and includes a plurality of equidistantly spaced belts 32. The belts can be of a so-called roughed up type. These belts 32 are trained about front and rear sets of wheels 33 and 34. The front set of wheels 33 is keyed or otherwise secured to a transversely extending driven shaft 35 which is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 36 carried by the frame of the machine. The rear set of wheels 34 is keyed or otherwise secured to a shaft 37 the terminals of which are rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 38. Take-ups or belt tensioning devices 39 of any desired character can be provided for the shaft 37 and its bearings 38. The shaft 35 is preferably driven from an electric motor 40 of the desired rating secured to the platform 17. The drive for the shaft 35 can include a power reduction mechanism and as illustrated the armature shaft 40 has keyed or otherwise secured thereto a pulley wheel 41 of a desired diameter. This pulley wheel 41 is operatively connected to a pulley wheel 42 of a greater diameter than the pulley wheel 41 by means of a pulley belt 43. The pulley wheel 42 is keyed or otherwise fastened to a countershaft 44 rotatably mounted in bearing blocks 45. The bearing blocks 45 are rigidly fastened to the table 17. The shaft 44 has also keyed or otherwise secured thereto a drive sprocket 46 around which is trained a sprocket chain 47. This sprocket chain is in turn trained about a sprocket wheel 48 keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 35. Attention is directed to the fact that the belts 32 have their upper runs travelling over the top of the table 18 between the shoes 21. Thus, the shoes 21 do not interfere with the travel of the belts 32.

The front of the frame of the machine carries a housing shell '49 and this shell can consist of side frame plates 50 connected by a top wall 51. The side frame plates 50 can be welded, or otherwise secured, to the front of the frame or bed of the machine. The side frame plates 50 are also preferably connected by a front wall 52 which terminates in front of and above the table 18. The lower edge of the front wall 52 has secured thereto a curved guide shield 53 and this shield is disposed directly above the feed rollers 10 of the folding machine F and hence this shield 53 functions in conjunction with the curved lip 19 of the table to guide the incoming boots onto the table where the boots are grasped and carried toward and up against the bang board or straight edge 20 by the conveyor 31.

To bring about the squaring-up of the boots B, I provide a swinging square-up board 54. This board extends transversely across the machine in front of the bang board 20. The square-up board adjacent to its upper end is rockably mounted on pivot pins 55 carried by hearing brackets 56, which are in turn, rigidly fastened to the front wall 52 of the shell 49. A contractile coil spring 57 is provided for normally urging the square-up board 54 away from the bang board 20 and the opposite ends of the spring are secured respectively to the board 54 and the front wall 52. To bring about the forcible actuation of the square-up board 54, I provide a mechanism, which embodies a transversely extending cam shaft 58. The cam shaft 58 is rotatably mounted in bearings 59 carried by the Wall 52 and this shaft has formed thereon or secured thereto at spaced points operating cam lobes 60 which are adapted to periodically engage wear rollers 61 carried by the outer face of the square-up board 54. As heretofore intimated, the shaft 58 is driven in proper timed relation relative to the incoming boots B from the folding machine F and hence this shaft is operatively connected to a desired operating part of the folder F. The shaft 58 can have keyed or otherwise secured thereto a sprocket wheel 62 and this sprocket wheel has trained thereabout a sprocket chain 63, which in turn is trained about a sprocket wheel 64 keyed or otherwise secured to a countershaft 65 rotatably mounted in a bearing 66 carried by the frame 15 of the machine S, also keyed to the shaft 65 is a second sprocket wheel 67 and this sprocket wheel has trained thereabout a sprocket chain 68. It is this sprocket chain which is driven from the folding machine F. Obviously, as the cams 60 wipe past the roller 61, the square up board will be periodically and forcibly urged toward the bang board 20. It is to be understood at this time, that the incoming boots have the edges of the top or bottom flaps 12 or 13, as the case may be, facing the bang board 20 and that the outer edges of the top or bottom flaps as the case may be are struck by the square-up board 54.

When the conveyor belt 31 has performed its function of carrying an incoming boot against the bang board 20, then it is highly desirable to immediately elevate the boot so as to prevent a drag thereon by the conveyor. Obviously, if the conveyor dragged on the boot, the same would cause injury to the printing thereon. The means for lifting the boots up off of the conveyor includes a plurality of curved lift fingers 69 carried by or formed on a plurality of spaced rock levers 70. The rock levers 70 are rigidly secured together and are rockably mounted intermediate their ends on a rock shaft 71 carried by the frame of the machine. The lift fingers 69 are equidistantly spaced and are positioned between the belts 32 of the conveyor 31. The lift fingers are positioned substantially centrally between the bang board 20 and square-up board 54 and when the remote ends of the rock levers 70 are pulled downwardly, the lift fingers 69 will be moved upwardly between the runs of the belt and thus lift a boot positioned between the bang board and square-up board 54 up off of the conveyor. The means for actuating the rock levers can include a solenoid 72 carried by the frame 15 of the machine S. The solenoid plunger 73 is operatively connected through a link 74 to the rock levers 70. Electrically connected with the solenoid 72 is a microswitch 75 and this switch is carried by one of the shoes 21 and the switch is so positioned that as an incoming boot B strikes the same, a circuit will be closed through the solenoid so that the lift fingers will be immediately actuated. At this time, the square-up board is operated by the cams 60 and the board 54 with its striking action squares up the boot between itself and the bang board.

gue ses As each shcceeding boot rides into the machine S a stack is formed between the bang board 20 and square-up board 54, and the formation of this stack gives a desired time interval for the glue at the manufacturers joint to set and dry.

When a predetermined number of boots has entered the machine and formed the stack, then the uppermost boot with the dried manufacturers joint is ejected from the machine.

This ejecting mechanism can take two different forms and as illustrated in FIGURE 1, the same may consist of a rubber roller 76 carried by a transversely extending shaft 77 rotatably mounted in bearings carried by the side plates 50 of the shell 49. This shaft 77 can be driven from the conveyor shaft 35 and hence the shaft 77 has keyed or otherwise secured thereto a sprocket wheel 78, around which is trained a sprocket chain 79. The chain 79 is in turn trained about a sprocket wheel 80, keyed or otherwise secured to a countershaft 81. The shaft 81 is operatively connected with the conveyor shaft 35 through the medium of intermeshing gears 82 and 83, which are keyed respectively to the shaft 81 and the shaft 35. Obviously, as the stack grows and the uppermost boot is engaged by the rubber ejecting roller 76, such uppermost boot which is now above the bang board 20, will be ejected from the machine.

The ejecting of the boots is aided by upper and lower rubber nip rollers 84 and 85 and these rollers are in turn keyed or otherwise secured to upper and lower shafts 86 and 87. These shafts are rotatably mounted on the side frame plates 23. The upper shaft 86 can be power driven in any preferred way, such as from the motor 40. As illustrated, however, the shaft 86 is driven froma supplemental electric motor 88 bolted to the top head frame plate 24. The armature shaft of the motor has keyed thereto a sprocket wheel 88 and trained about the sprocket wheel is a sprocket chain 89. The chain 89 in turn, is trained about a sprocket wheel 90 keyed to the shaft 86.

It may be desirable to keep a certain limited pressure on the stack of cartons being formed and hence I can provide spring pressed pressure shoes 91. These pressure shoes are mounted on bracket plates 92 secured to the top plate 24 of the head. Means is also provided for regulating the tension on the shoes 91.

Again it is to be noted that the bang board 20, the shoes 21 and frame plates 23 and 24 constitute a head which is adjustable longitudinally of the machine toward and away from the square-up board 54, so that cartons of different sizes can be accommodated by the squaringup machine.

While I have shown one preferred embodiment of the squaring-up machine, it is to be understood that various changes in details may be made thereto.

As also heretofore brought out, the means for ejecting the uppermost boots in the formed stack out of the machine can take different forms and in FIGURE 4 I have illustrated a second example of an ejecting mechanism.

This ejecting mechanism can include a swinging ejecting paddle 93 carried by hearing brackets 94 rigidly secured to the top wall 51 of the shell 49. The ejecting paddle 93 can be operated in the same manner as the square-up board 54 and hence the outer face of the paddle can carry wear rollers 95 disposed in the path of cams 96 rigidly fastened to a cam shaft 97. The cam shaft is rotatably carried by brackets 98 rigidly fastened to the front wall 52 of the shell 49. The shaft 97 can be driven from the shaft 58 and thus the shafts 97 and 58 can have keyed thereto sprocket wheels 99 and these wheels have trained thereabout a drive sprocket chain 100. Obviously, when the ejecting paddle is swung forwardly for the cams the same will engage the adjacent edges of the uppermost boot and move such boot oif of 6 V w the stack and into engagement with the nip rollers 84 and 85.

Various other changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention, but what I claim as new is:

1. A machine for squaring-up carton boots, as the boots are folded by a folding machine and freshly glued at the manufacturers joints and before the setting of the glue comprising, a table, means for receiving the boots from the folding machine, a straight edge bang board extending transversely across the table, means for carrying the boots against the bang board, a swinging square-up board carried by the table and movable in proper timed relation to the movement of the boots in the machine for striking the opposite edges of the boots from the bang board for squaring-up the edges of the boots between the bang board and itself, means for moving the boots against the bang board including an endless conveyor having its upper run movable over the table, and means for lifting the boots oif of the conveyor as the boots strike the bang board and holding the boots elevated until a following boot is moving toward the bang board and under the trailing edge of said preceding boot.

2. A machine for squaring up carton boots as defined in claim 1, and said bang board being adjustable longitudinally of the table to a selected position relative to the square-up board whereby carton boots of diiferent sizes can be handled.

3. A machine for squaring-up carton boots as defined in claim 1, and means for ejecting the boots one at a time from the machine.

4. A machine for squaring-up carton boots as defined in claim 1, and means for ejecting the boots one at a time from the machine after the squaring-up of the boots, said ejecting means being positioned a predetermined distance above the table whereby a stack of squared-up boots can be formed and whereby a time interval will be provided for permitting the setting of the glue at the manufacturers joints of the boots.

5. A machine for squaring-up carton boots after the boots are folded by a folding machine and freshly glued at the manufacturers joints and before the setting of the glue comprising a table, means for receiving the boots from the folding machine, a bang board extending transversely across the table and in the path of the incoming boots, an endless conveyor for conveying the boots to the bang board, a square-up board rockably carried by the table and disposed transversely thereof and in spaced relation to the bang board for striking the edges of the boots remote from the bang board for squaring-up the boots between the bang board and itself, and means initiated by a boot at the same strikes the bang board for lifting the boots off of the conveyor upon the engagement of the boot with the bang board and holding said boot until the following boot is under its leading edge.

6. A machine for squaring-up carton boots, as defined in claim 5, and said means including curved lift fingers disposed between the bang board and square-up board and movable through the table, a solenoid for lifting the fingers, and means for closing a circuit through the solenoid including a switch carried by the lower part of the bang board and disposed in the path of a boot.

7. A machine for squaring-up carton boots as defined in claim 6, and said bang board and square-up board being of a considerable height to permit the forming of a stack of square-up boots therebetween, and means for ejecting boots from the top of the stack disposed a pre determined distance above the table and above the upper edge of the bang board.

8. A machine for squaring-up carton boots as defined in claim 7, and said ejecting means including a power driven rotatable roller.

9. A machine for squaring-up carton boots as defined in claim 7, and said ejecting mechanism including a power 7 driven swinging paddle for engaging an uppermost boot in the stack upon the forward swinging movement thereof,

10. A machine for squaring-up carton boots as defined in claim 7, and power driven nip rollers disposed in rear of the bang board and above the bang board for facilitating the carrying of the boots as they are ejected from out of the machine.

11. A machine for squaring-up carton boots as the boots are folded by a folding machine and freshly glued at the manufacturers joints and before the setting of the glue comprising a table disposed in front of the folding machine, means for guiding the boots from a folding machine onto the table, a head carried by the table and extending transversely of the table including a straight edge bang board, a plurality of spaced inclined shoes carried by the lower edge of the bang board and engaging said table, a longitudinally extending conveyor carried by the table for conducting the incoming boots to the bang board, and said conveyor including a plurality of belts having their upper runs disposed over the upper face of the table and between the shoes, a swinging squareup board carried by the table and disposed a predetermined distance in advance of the bang board, means for swinging the square-up board toward and away from the bang board driven in proper timed relation relative to the incoming boots and for forcibly striking the edge of an incoming boot remote from the edge of the boot facing the bang board for moving the boot into forcible contact with the bang board and for squaring the boot between itself and bang board, and means for elevating a boot as the same initially engages the bang board off of the conveyor to prevent a drag on the boot and to hold said boot until a following boot is under its trailing edge, said bang board and said square-up board being of a predetermined height to permit the forming of a stack of square-up boots to provide a time interval for the drying of the glue at the manufacturers joints and means located a predetermined distance above the table for ejecting boots when the stack reaches a predetermined height.

12. A machine for squaring-up carton boots as defined in claim 11, and means for bodily adjusting the head on the table to a selected position relative to the square-up board whereby boots of different sizes can be handled.

13. A machine for squaring-up carton boots as defined in claim 11, and said means for operating the square-up board including a cam shaft, means for rotating the cam shaft, cam lobes on the shaft for engaging the square-up board at a point remote from the pivot point of said board.

14. A machine for squaring-up carton boots as defined in claim 11, and pressure means for engaging the uppermost boot in the stack.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,857,040 Campbell Oct. 21, 1958 2,915,950 La Bombard Dec. 8, 1959 2,931,520 Shields Apr. 5, 1960 

